Jews in Oklahoma

As a member of the Oklahoma Historical Society I receive their newsletter, Mistletoe Leaves. I was pleased to see Caddo mentioned on the front page! A collection of photos by David Halpern of Tulsa will be on display at the Oklahoma Museum of History in OKC from February through March. The exhibit is Prairie Landsmen: The Jews of Oklahoma, and includes 38 photos of Jewish people and places in Oklahoma. “Diverse in origins and occupations, the Jews of Oklahoma still share a common bond. Each is a Landsman (pronounced Lonts-mon), which means ‘one who comes from the same home town’.” Our most famous Jewish resident was Ben Siegel, who owned a variety store in the building that still bears his name. I read a brief article in the Caddo Herald (July 1922) about him liquidating his business and boarding the train to St. Louis. He had been in business 26 years according to the paper.